Residents in Merinda and Euri Creek have received letters in the past month saying their homes are in the proposed area and may be acquired.

But Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney says residents in the urban area of Merinda have 'nothing to worry about' but rural properties in nearby Euri Creek could fall in the proposed area for the rail corridor.

"It will be rural landholders who will unfortunately face the prospect of a railway being constructed, but it will only be a tiny percentage of the people who have been involved in this process from the start.

"There's unfortunately no doubt that some rural landholders will have to deal with the prospect of a new railway line being built on their land."

Merinda confusion

Some Merinda residents voiced their concerns on social media after receiving the letters from the state government.

Resident Daniel Webb wrote on the "We Support The Abbot Point Expansion" Facebook page:

I got a letter today with my house highlighted (im in Merinda). Are they going to take my home?. Im all for Abbot Point going ahead but hopefully with out the lost of my home.

Resident Paul Hunt has lived in Merinda for 26 years and says there's a feeling of uncertainty in the town.

"The people just really need to actually know what is going to happen in the next 12 months.

"Most of the people that live out here have been there for possibly 15 to 20 years I would say and a lot of people work at Abbot Point."

"If you've lived there for more than 20 years and you've raised your family in that house, and I've built my own house, why would I want to move?"

Another Resident Brian Woods says the maps of the proposed area aren't clear and is calling for the Co-ordinator General's office to hold a town meeting.

"The co-ordinator general's office said they haven't got the money to come up and have a town meeting, yet they've got the money to come up and spend possibly three or four days in Bowen next month and have one on one meetings with landholders, yet they can't travel from Bowen, 7 kilometres out to Merinda and have a meeting at the school at 5 o'clock in the afternoon to tell people what's going on."

State Development Area

Deputy Premier Seeney says the land included in the temporary development area is very large and will be narrowed down once plans are finalised.

"There's been a lot of land holders involved because it does encompass a wide area across 400- 500 kilometres in that part of Queensland.

"We've made it very clear that we will only be supporting the establishment of one railway line and that will be a 60 metre wide corridor.

"They (Merinda residents) are within the area but it's a very broad area at the moment but it will only be a temporary declaration at the moment until such time that the final track of the railway is decided upon and the state development area will be shrunk down."

Mr Seeney says the letters were sent out some time ago and the Co-ordinator General's office has already responded to a number of enquiries.

He asked the Co-ordinator General to clear up any confusion as quickly as possible.

"I'm sorry if there's been confusion and concern caused because there's certainly no need for concern.

"There's a 1800 number on the letter people can ring and I've asked him to get some people to visit the area as quickly as possible to explain the fact that there is no reason for people to be concerned."

Public submission on the proposed State Development Area close in late March.